Zoey stood still, lazily watching them circle around her for several seconds.
Seeing this, Austin gritted his teeth and suddenly got up, arms spread open as he shielded her from them.
Even if she knew how to fight, there was no way she'd be able to win against five boys, right?
Gulping down hard, he braced himself and scoffed, "Do you all have no shame trying to hit a girl?"
The boys didn't stop moving as they sneered one after the other.
"Why? Are you jealous?"
"You don't have to be jealous, we'll be with you shortly."
"Once we're done with you and your girlfriend, you can both spend the next five months learning how to walk again."
"Listen up, on the count of three, grab her!"
In the BMW parked a little farther away, Alden Leith lowered his eyes and reached for the door.
When he remembered he couldn't walk, he clenched his jaw tightly and raised his eyes to meet Sebastian's questioning ones.
Sebastian had seen Zoey three times in less than twenty-four hours which was enough to recognize her from a distance.
So even though he didn't understand what he was doing here, he got the message and poked his head out, yelling sternly, "Hey! Are you fighting? Don't make me call the cops on you!"
At the threat of the police being called, the boys naturally retreated and glared at Zoey.
"Don't think for a moment this is over!"
Then they lifted a still unconscious Sheila Stratton and hurried away.
Zoey, who hadn't moved an inch the entire time, suddenly stretched her arms in a tired yawn.
A moment later, Austin's knees buckled, trembling vigorously before he collapsed to the ground panting heavily.
She stared down at him in surprise.
"What is it?"
Wiping off the cold sweat on his temple, he looked up and flashed her a proud smile. "I stood up to those bastards with such a straight face. I feel proud, but my legs are trembling so hard I'm afraid I can't stand anymore."
The corners of her lips twitched before she bent over and reclined beside him.
He lay back, and so did she.
After a while, he got on his side, supporting his head with his palm as he stared into her face, "You're my first friend."
She leered at him. "I'm not your friend. We're only talking because you promised me your organs before you go."
Austin chuckled. "Sure, I'll give them to you if I make it to ninety and no longer have the will to live."
"Deal."
In the backseat of the BMW, Alden smiled angrily, stretching his neck hard when he saw them bumping fists.
What nonsense?
He was the one who saved her from being beaten by those rascals, but she doesn't even bother to come greet him?
He picked up his phone, opening the contacts app to see the only contact in it staring back at him.
He had thought long and hard about what to save the contact as and ended up with Friend.
"I'll stay at the condo tonight." He mummed without raising his eyes.
Sebastian nodded quietly and started the car.
As the vehicle pulled away, Zoey glanced at it, wondering why the stalker who'd been following her all this while had suddenly decided to leave now that she was alone.
Neither Alden nor Sebastian realized it yet, but the only reason Zoey thought it was a stalker and hadn't come to them was because they were driving a BMW as opposed to the Audi from yesterday.
Austin's eyes followed the moving BMW as he exhaled heavily in relief.
"Thank goodness for him. I have a feeling you can fight, but there's no way you could take five boys at once, is there?"
Zoey looked him over.
"You're running your mouth already, but I don't hear a single thankful word coming out of it."
The boy chuckled and moved closer to her.
"Hey, are you sure you want to hang out with me? Your sister is popular at school, so you'll be respected if people find out about me."
"Those hoodlums won't even dare to touch you for fear of offending Kate and her followers."
Zoey said nothing and simply got on her feet. She didn't stop walking until she got to the main road and flagged down a taxi for him.
Pushing him inside, she held the door open and stared him straight in the face, "Here. I repaid my debt from this morning. Since I just saved you from getting your ass kicked by those delinquents, that wiped my slate clean."
Austin parted his lips to say something when she reached inside and wound up the window, then slammed it closed.
A moment later, the driver drove off.
Finally free, she glanced at the time and sighed.
Seven in the evening already.
The weather was a little chilly, and she was in the mood to run, so she bent over to tie her shoelace and sped up.
She kept missing her way to the estate until she found the correct estate and house.
Stepping into the house three hours after school ended, the phone in her pocket buzzed twice—surprisingly, at the same time.
Lowering her eyes, she reached for it, only to find two messages from saved numbers: Austin Cross and Wealthy Mister.
Wealthy Mister: You're in high school. Read your books.
Strange.
What did anything have to do with reading her books or being in high school?
Shaking the thought to the back of her mind, she lowered her eyes to Austin's message.
Though a little surprised she had his number, she shrugged and read his text.
Austin Cross: Thank you so much for today!
They were both short, so she didn't need to open them fully to read.
Just as she was about to slip the phone back into her pocket, it was suddenly snatched from her hand.
She raised her eyes, slightly taken aback by the scene in front of her.
Henry and Gina sat beside each other, hands entwined, staring up at her with restrained anger on their faces.
She shifted her gaze to Kate when she heard her gasp.
Kate didn't address her directly and instead turned to their parents, forcing a smile, "Mom, dad, I've lived with you for almost nineteen years and I didn't know we had a family friend named Wealthy Mister."